沃尔夫谈维斯塔潘2026年接触：梅赛德斯大门基本关闭
梅赛德斯车队领队托托·沃尔夫在赞德沃特年度媒体会上被问及马克斯·维斯塔潘是否会加盟梅赛德斯，他表示大门看似关闭，但仍留有一丝缝隙。
为什么维斯塔潘2026年与梅赛德斯的接触与去年大不相同
梅赛德斯与拉塞尔和安东内利续约至2027年，红牛也与维斯塔潘续约；托托·沃尔夫现在认为，还需要几年时间他才有下一次机会抢走这位四届世界冠军
马克斯·维斯塔潘、红牛车队、安德烈亚·基米·安东内利、梅赛德斯
马克斯·维斯塔潘将来会在一级方程式为梅赛德斯效力吗？在赞德沃特与荷兰记者的年度媒体见面会上，领队托托·沃尔夫通常都会被问到这个问题——而这一次这扇门看起来已经关上了，不过沃尔夫仍然让它留着一条小小的缝。
F1的历史原本可能走向截然不同的方向：如果梅赛德斯在2014年击败红牛、抢先锁定这位年轻人的未来的话。当时维斯塔潘作为一名新秀在F3赛场不断夺冠，但他坚定地瞄准了立即进入世界锦标赛（F1）亮相的机会。而只有红牛能够提供这一点，凭借的是其旗下的小红牛车队。
从那以后，梅赛德斯和维斯塔潘一直是对手，但两年前，沃尔夫透露他曾与这位当时的三届世界冠军进行过会谈。这位奥地利人面临着一个艰巨的任务——为即将转投法拉利的刘易斯·汉密尔顿找到合适的接班人，而他已经把目光锁定在了下一代天才少年基米·安东内利身上，但很显然，只要招募维斯塔潘有哪怕一丝实现的可能，他都不会放过这个机会。
虽然最终未能实现，但当Motorsport.com问及对维斯塔潘的潜在引进是否仍萦绕在他心中时，沃尔夫坚称这扇门并未关闭：“是的，确实如此。不知为何我有这种感觉。但我不知道那会是什么时候。是2026年，还是三年之后，我还不知道。”
马克斯·维斯塔潘，红牛车队，安德烈亚·基米·安东内利，梅赛德斯
一年后，沃尔夫再次向维斯塔潘示好，当时新秀安东内利在首个赛季中挣扎，但这位红牛车手再次向位于米尔顿凯恩斯的车队表达了忠诚。
“这是否意味着因为时机不对，我们的道路永远不会交汇？嗯，这种情况可能发生，”沃尔夫当时思索道。“但你知道，这可能是50%。另外50%的可能性是，在我们职业生涯的某个阶段，如果对双方都合适，我们会一起比赛。”
但如今，沃尔夫承认，他看不出维斯塔潘会在短期内加盟梅赛德斯，因为拉塞尔和安东内利早在6月就已确认将继续效力银箭车队至2027年，而这位荷兰车手的新红牛合同也在他的主场大奖赛前宣布——尽管维斯塔潘目前正经历自2015年以来首个未尝胜绩的赛季。
“我们很早就感觉到，继续与乔治和小基米合作是正确的决定——出于各种原因，但似乎这样的车手阵容正是恰到好处的积极动力，”沃尔夫评论道。“它让小基米得以成长，也让乔治能够发挥出最佳水平，因为他有一个速度很快的年轻队友。
“因此，维斯塔潘留在红牛似乎是很合逻辑的选择。知根知底的魔鬼好过陌生的天使——这可是句名言！——然后等两三年后合同重新打开时再看情况，到时候他的选择可能不止一支车队，而是三四支，就看谁表现最好。”
当Motorsport.com问及梅赛德斯是否曾经有任何机会签下维斯塔潘参加2027赛季时，沃尔夫解释道：“早在春末就很清楚，我们会像现在这样继续下去。我们之间有着尽可能开放、某种意义上也是最透明的关系。所以，就像你说的，情况与去年大不相同，当时双方都在探讨合作是否有可能发生。”
维斯塔潘新合同的宣布结束了关于这位四届世界冠军未来的猜测。此前，他在车手中可以说是对新规则最持批评态度的人。他参与GT3赛事期间，一些关于人生抉择的隐晦、随口之言加剧了传闻，但最终，红牛的这位巨星决定继续自己的F1生涯。
当被问及看到维斯塔潘更长时间留在该项赛事中是否感到惊讶时，沃尔夫说：“不惊讶。规则越成熟，各车队就越会追上来。即使红牛目前处于劣势，但很显然，假以时日，他们会再度闪耀。
“他们今年有一些比赛表现很强，也有一些不尽如人意。但我毫不怀疑，往后那些常见的强队还会再次争夺胜利和总冠军，无论是法拉利、迈凯伦、红牛还是我们自己。所以这个决定对我来说在某种程度上是合乎逻辑的。”
英文原文
Why Max Verstappen’s 2026 Mercedes contact was very different from last year’s
Mercedes extended its deals with George Russell and Kimi Antonelli for 2027, and so did Red Bull with Verstappen; by now, Toto Wolff believes it will be a few years until he gets another chance to snatch the four-time champion away
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Will Max Verstappen ever race for Mercedes in Formula 1? This is what team principal Toto Wolff typically is quizzed about in his yearly media session with Dutch journalists at Zandvoort – and this time the door looks closed, though Wolff keeps it ever so slightly ajar.
F1’s history could have panned out very differently if Mercedes had beaten Red Bull to secure the youngster’s future back in 2014, as Verstappen kept winning races in Formula 3 as a single-seater rookie, but his sights were firmly set on an immediate world championship debut. That’s something only Red Bull could offer, courtesy of its second outfit.
Since then, Mercedes and Verstappen have always been rivals, but two years ago, Wolff revealed he had held talks with the then-three-time world champion. The Austrian faced the tall order of finding a worthy replacement for Ferrari-bound Lewis Hamilton and had already set his sights on next-generation wunderkind Kimi Antonelli, but he obviously wouldn’t have passed on the opportunity of recruiting Verstappen, had it had the slightest chance of materialising.
It didn’t, but Wolff insisted the door was not closed, when asked by Motorsport.com if a potential move for Verstappen was still in the back of his mind: “Yes, it is. Somehow I have that feeling. But I don't know when that could be. Whether it's ‘26, whether it's three years later, I don't know yet.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing, Andrea Kimi Antonelli, Mercedes
Wolff again sounded out Verstappen one year later, as rookie Antonelli struggled in his maiden season, but the Red Bull racer pledged loyalty anew to the Milton Keynes-based team.
“Could that mean our paths will never cross because the timings are wrong? Well, that can happen,” Wolff pondered at the time. “But, you know, that could be 50%. The other 50% is we are racing together at a certain stage in our careers, if it is right for both sides.”
But by now, Wolff admits he can’t see Verstappen joining Mercedes anytime soon, after Russell and Antonelli were confirmed in the Silver Arrows for 2027 back in June, while the Dutchman’s new Red Bull deal was announced ahead of his home race – despite Verstappen currently going through his first winless campaign since 2015.
“Pretty early we felt for us that being with George and Kimi was the right decision to continue – for various reasons, but it seems that the driver line-up is just the right positive dynamic,” Wolff commented. “It allows Kimi to grow and for George to bring out his best game because he has a quick, young team-mate.
“Therefore it seemed pretty logic that Max would stay with Red Bull. Better the devil you know – that's a punchline! – and then wait what happens in two or three years, where contracts open up again and probably his options are not just one team but maybe three or four at a time. And wait who performs the best.”
Asked by Motorsport.com if Mercedes had had any chance at all of hiring Verstappen for 2027, Wolff explained: “Pretty early in the late spring it was clear that we would continue like we do. And we have an open and in a way most transparent relationship as we can have. So the situation, as you say, was very different to what it was last year, where both sides were exploring whether cooperation could happen or not.”
The announcement of Verstappen’s new contract ended speculation over the four-time world champion’s future, after he emerged among drivers as arguably the most critical of F1’s new regulations. Cryptic, throwaway lines about “life” decisions to make fuelled rumours amid his involvement in GT3 racing, but in the end, Red Bull’s superstar decided to keep his F1 career going.
Asked if he was surprised to see Verstappen staying longer in the series, Wolff said: “No. The more regulations mature the more the teams will catch up. And even if Red Bull at the moment is on the back foot it is clear that, give it some time, they will shine.
“They have had strong races this year, others that were not. But I have no doubt that going forward the usual suspects will be again fighting for wins and championships, whether it is Ferrari or McLaren or Red Bull or ourselves. So the decision’s in a way logic for me.”
Motorsport.com ·
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